Ben Koller vs Richard Christy — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Ben Koller (Converge / Mutoid Man / Killer Be Killed) vs Richard Christy (Death / Iced Earth). Kits, cymbals, pedals, sticks — compare specs and prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit does Ben Koller use?
Ben Koller uses Tama Starclassic Maple with Zildjian (14" K Dark Thin Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" K Dark Medium Thin Crashes, 21" K Custom Ride, 18" K China). Ben Koller plays a Tama Starclassic Maple kit with a Tama S.L.P. 14x6" Brass snare and Zildjian K Dark cymbals (14" K Dark Thin Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" K Dark Medium Thin Crashes, 21" K Custom Ride, 18" K China), driven by a Tama Iron Cobra 900 double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks. Richard Christy plays a Pearl Masters Custom kit with a matching Pearl Masters Maple 14x6.5" snare and Sabian AAX & HHX Series cymbals (14" AAX Stage Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" AAX X-Plosion Crashes, 21" HHX Raw Bell Dry Ride, 18" AAX Chinese), powered by an Axis A Longboard double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5A sticks.
What drum kit does Richard Christy use?
Richard Christy uses Pearl Custom Z with Sabian AAX & HHX Series (14" AAX Stage Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" AAX X-Plosion Crashes, 21" HHX Raw Bell Dry Ride, 18" AAX Chinese). Ben Koller plays a Tama Starclassic Maple kit with a Tama S.L.P. 14x6" Brass snare and Zildjian K Dark cymbals (14" K Dark Thin Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" K Dark Medium Thin Crashes, 21" K Custom Ride, 18" K China), driven by a Tama Iron Cobra 900 double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks. Richard Christy plays a Pearl Masters Custom kit with a matching Pearl Masters Maple 14x6.5" snare and Sabian AAX & HHX Series cymbals (14" AAX Stage Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" AAX X-Plosion Crashes, 21" HHX Raw Bell Dry Ride, 18" AAX Chinese), powered by an Axis A Longboard double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5A sticks.
Which is better, Ben Koller or Richard Christy?
Ben Koller and Richard Christy represent two disciplined extremes of technical drumming born from different underground scenes. Koller channels hardcore punk and grindcore energy into Converge and Mutoid Man's controlled chaos, treating unpredictability itself as a technique. Christy brought jazz-like precision and blast-beat speed to Death's final, most technical statement before extending that discipline into Iced Earth and his own project. Koller is mathcore's chaotic architect; Christy is technical death metal's disciplined craftsman — both raised the bar for what extreme metal drumming could demand.